Developers of new time-share resorts secure financing for their units, but conventional financing is not usually an option for time-share resales. Resale units are usually sold for cash although owners are sometimes willing to finance the buyer. It might also be possible to assume the current owner's loan.

If you do finance a time-share through a conventional lender, be prepared to pay significantly higher interest rates than you would for a house or other real estate.

Annual Maintenance Fees

In addition to the cost of the time-share, you'll have to pay the maintenance fees. This money is used to pay for repairs to the building and grounds, insurance, utilities, legal and other professional fees, management company expenses, and all of the other costs associated with running a large resort complex. You'll see fees that are as low as $200 and as high as $1,000 per year. They are increased as necessary to cover expenses and upgrades.

It's a good idea to look at each resort's fee history to see if there's a trend of rising costs. There's no guarantee that fees that have gone up slowly or remained stable for a time will continue to do so, but if you see that fees have climbed rapidly each year, it's a good indication the trend will continue.